


The Cords of Sin

by gutturalmess



Series: Deleted Scenes [4]
Category: CodotVerse, DC- Fandom, DCU
Genre: Dance for Me (an Edward Nygma and Laura Cameron tag), Exhibitionism, F/M, Manipulation, Pulling their strings (an Edward Nygma tag), Stars in Her Eyes (a Laura Cameron tag), Winning is a hell of a drug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 09:56:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16721172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gutturalmess/pseuds/gutturalmess
Summary: When one defeat is simply not crushing enough.Directly follows: https://thecodotverse.tumblr.com/post/180423188527/rogues-s01e14-the-prodigal-son-transcript





	The Cords of Sin

Riding his mad high with a taste for new sport, Edward caught sight of Laura as he left his father’s room; her gaze shot down to her clipboard, trying to hide that she had been watching the door. As she tucked a lock behind her ear with a shaking hand, he could see that she had let her hair down and tousled it; she looked absurdly young.  
“Already I see that you’re mine,” he laughed. “Let’s see how far you’ll let me push you.”  
Edward took a deep breath, settled his features, and moved closer; he placed a gloved hand on the station countertop and slid it across the surface, coming to rest on the clipboard and blocking her view.  
“Not disturbing you, am I?”  
Laura breathed out and shook her head, staring at his hand. “No. N-no, you’re not.”  
“And yet,” he murmured, raising his hand up to lift her chin with two fingers. “You seem disturbed,” he smirked. “Do I make you nervous?”  
Laura bit her lip and kept her eyes down, managing a nod. Edward kept his fingers under her chin as he moved the rest of his body around hers to whisper in her right ear from behind.  
“We can’t have that,” he said, resting his left hand on her left shoulder. “What to do? Hmm. Here’s an idea. You like riddles, don’t you? You must, since you know my name... ” he chuckled as he watched goosebumps flood the back of her neck. Laura nodded again, his presence bolting her in place.  
“Then riddle me this,” he purred against the outer shell of her ear; Laura closed her eyes and bit down on the nail of her index finger. “It’s shared between two,” he stroked her jaw, feeling her pounding heart in her pulse; “most often to woo. Sometimes hot,” he lingered over the word as he breathed in her ear, “and sometimes cold. The beginning of us all, young and old.”  
Laura’s eyes flew open; she inhaled a sharp breath and licked her lips.  
“Do you need a moment to think about it?”  
“No,” she said, voice soft. “Could it be…” Edward turned her head and locked onto her gaze.  
“Could it be…?”  
“C-could it b-be…” she stammered, excitement destroying her enunciation; “… a kiss?”  
Edward tilted his head. “Would you like it to be?”  
“God, yes,” she replied, not stopping to think; Edward swept her body around to crowd her up against the wall, catching her mouth in a kiss as they moved. Laura brought up her hands, gripping at his shirt to keep from buckling to the floor. 

A beep sounded at the nurse’s station; Laura gave a despairing whimper as Edward turned his head away from her to look at the flashing red light.  
“I’m guessing from the pitch of that sigh,” Edward said, turning back with a smirk, “that the bell tolls for thee.”  
“Your father,” Laura rested her forehead against his shoulder, trying to recover some composure. Absently she touched her fingers to her lips, grabbing at the ghost of his kiss.  
“It must be his sick sense,” Edward said, resting his own lips against her neck. “Must you go?”  
“I should,” she said, breathing hard. “I really should.”  
“You know he’s fine,” Edward said, lifting his head to look at her. “As fine as he’s able to get, that is - just whining for attention.”  
“I know,” she sighed. “He does it a lot.”  
“Jackie wants to make sure you didn’t have your head turned by his no-good son,” Edward said, leaning in close to her lips. Laura closed the gap, tripping over her feet in her eagerness; he laughed. “Oh dear, it looks like you did.”  
“You bet,” Laura giggled.  
“Are you going to go?” Edward asked, running his hands down her shoulders to grasp her elbows; Laura lifted her own hands to touch his forearms.  
“Do you want me to?”  
“Clearly, I’d rather you paid attention to me. Is that even a question?”  
Jack’s voice drifted down the hall, impatient. “Laura!”  
“There’s the man himself, bleating away,” Edward said. Laura bit her lip, torn; he chuckled.  
“You don’t want to lose your job, huh?”  
“No, but I…”  
“... Don’t want to go?”  
“Right.”  
“What to do, what to do?” Edward crooned, reaching out to run a finger down her cheek. Feeling bold and flirtatious from his attentions, Laura’s chest swelled.  
“If you kiss me again, then maybe I’ll come back,” she teased. Edward’s body stilled. Laura swallowed as she watched him raise an eyebrow and then moisten his lower lip.  
“A challenge…” he murmured. “Do you know what game this is?”  
“I-I’m not sure,” she whispered; under his gaze, her newfound moxie stumbled.  
“That’s one to me. Now,” Edward said with a sliding smile, “what was it you said?”  
Insecure and desperate to have him touch her again, Laura opened a hand to grip his shirt but could only close on air; Edward took hold of the outstretched hand and rested his lips against the knuckles while he savoured her distress.  
“Something about a kiss, wasn’t it?”  
“Yes,” she whispered.  
“I won’t kiss you before,” his eyes gleamed as her face dropped. “But I will after.”  
Despite feeling ridiculous for being so relieved, Laura stared at him; he went on. “You check on him, and I’ll wait exactly one minute for you to come back. If you’re late - then I leave.”  
Laura had the distinct feeling that a train was barrelling toward her; she ignored it.  
“Why only one minute?”  
“What better reason than…” Edward tilted his head, “because I said so.”  
“But I...” Laura said, pushing a lock of hair over one ear, “I’m the one who could get into trouble.” Edward turned his head and snickered. “So, then…” her mouth curved into what she hoped was a cool smile, “besides a kiss, what’s in it for me?”

“Are you sure you know how to play this game?” Edward asked.  
“I -”  
Cutting her off with a soft shushing noise, he cupped her face with both hands.  
“Let’s see…” he said, looking into her eyes, which widened. Laura drew in a ragged breath, any possibility of coherent reply stolen as he ripped away her confident conceit and savoured the innocence revealed beneath.  
“That’s two. Laura,” he purred, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “Sweet little Laura. Tell you what: if you come back within my very generous sixty seconds,” Edward paused, a smile lifting his lips as he watched her hang on his every word, “I assume your desire to take the next step.”  
Laura was the first to blink, finding her voice at last. “The next -”  
“Level. Base. Whatever synonym you like,” Edward shrugged, “you know what I’m saying.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes.”  
“Where… “ she said, pointing downwards. “Here?”  
“I’m game,” Edward said, looking at her with interest.  
“Uh -” Laura squirmed. “I’m not sure…”  
“Pas si simple,” Edward murmured, moving one hand to grip the back of her skull. “How about somewhere a little more PG-13. With a door, perhaps?”  
“There’s a supply closet,” Laura said, eagerly seizing upon the idea; Edward turned to look, then back to her.  
“Works for me.”  
“Oh, God,” Laura said, legs shaking; Edward took hold of her shoulders and steadied her.  
“Easy, now.”  
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered, smiling. “It’s like a dream.”  
“Shall I pinch you?” Edward asked, leaning in close.  
“Yes please,” she gazed at him in reverence, cheeks flushing prettily; he lifted her chin with his knuckles, pleased.  
“Where?”  
“Ohh…” Laura exhaled, vocabulary decimated and resistance withering under his eyes. “... Anywhere.”  
“One question first,” he asked, tilting his head to whisper his lips across her cheek. “Do you trust me?”  
“Yes,” she breathed; her hands lifted to rest against his chest in absolute surrender.  
“You shouldn’t,” he murmured, making to kiss her again before the call buzzer sounded; irritation flashed across her face. Edward took a step away from her, mouth twisting into a smirk. In turn she fell forward a step, unsteady without him as a prop.  
“See to him,” Edward said. “Ease that troubled, tiny mind.”  
“Will you be here?”  
“If you’re on time,” he said, lifting his wrist to look at his watch. “Now go.”  
Laura took off back to Jack’s room as Edward opened the supply closet and went inside.  
“Three. Just you wait, Pop,” Edward said, looking at his watch as he leaned against a wall. “I’ll make Florence Nightingale sing for you.”

After forty-five seconds, with squeaking footsteps and repeated murmurs of “don’t be gone -”, Laura turned the corner. Worry melted into relief as Edward reached out a hand, pulled her in and kissed her; her expression was dazed as he drew away with a grin.  
“Now - how about we start with an autograph?”  
“A what?” Laura’s brow crinkled, confused.  
“Just for you - a veritable collector’s item.” Edward pulled his emerald green fountain pen out of his pocket. “I have a location in mind, too…” he looked down her body and then up again. “May I?”  
Laura bit her lip, and nodded. “Yes. Anything. Yes.”  
“Mm. Another blank check,” he murmured to himself, “only fitting that I sign for it.” Moving without haste, Edward bowed and uncapped his fountain pen. He grasped the hem of her shirt, lifting it high enough to reveal her stomach. As her body began to shake, he rested a hand on her skin and looked up.  
“Relax,” he said. “I shan’t hurt you.”  
“You could,” she replied, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. Edward smiled, his teeth shining points in the low light.  
“I mean…” she tried to shrug it off. “If you wanted.”  
“We’ll see,” he said, shaking his head as he laughed. “For now, just focus on breathing. Will you do that for me?”  
“Yes,” Laura said, watching with envy as Edward placed the pen cap between his teeth; eyes narrowing in concentration, Edward started to draw. Laura raised her eyes to the ceiling, concentrating on her breathing since she lacked the nerve to watch. The path of the pen curved and then took a turn south, down and down; she held her breath and tried to keep her body still as, unknown to her, he flipped the pen in his hand. Using the rounded end to trace a circle around her clitoris, he took his time and watched her face as she reacted. Laura’s breath huffed short and her legs shook; she lost her balance and toppled back onto a shelf, hands grasping for purchase. 

Edward chuckled as he put his pen back in his pocket; with the briskness of habit, he slipped off his gloves and set them aside.  
“I see this calls for more delicate handling,” he said, straightening up as he spoke. “Be a good girl and stand still,” he said, moving between her legs and pressing against her. Laura uttered a note of surprise as he grabbed hold of her jaw; his hand was warm. Edward ran his tongue over his other fingertips which then moved down over her stomach, dipped under her waistband and then into her panties; he tilted his head to whisper in her ear.  
“Let’s see how sweet you are when you unravel.”  
Laura looked up at his face, confused. ”But -”  
“Hmm?”  
“I - I thought I’d be doing this for you.”  
“Girls come first,” he murmured; she flushed. “There are other ways to please me than with those clumsy fumblings the other boys expect from you.”  
As he parted her swollen lips, Laura’s knees began to tremble; his elegant fingers held and stroked her with maddening assurance. His method of circling pressure was slow but relentless; his gaze bore into her face as he watched her fall apart, bruising grip ensuring she could not look away.  
“Laura!” Jack hollered. “Where you at?”  
Unnerved, Laura tensed; Edward pressed a kiss against her temple.  
“Daddy’s calling. Will you answer?”  
“Shh…” she giggled, dizzy from his cologne and drunk on his proximity. “He’ll hear you.”  
“No, he won’t,” he reassured her, “he’ll hear you.”  
“What?” She breathed, eyes wide.  
“Yes,” he murmured in her ear.  
“But then people will know.”  
“How fortunate for them.”  
“I -” words fell away at her gasp; her mouth hung open as she panted out each breath, legs threatening to give way at any moment.  
“Such a pretty thing,” he murmured. “And such a feast for the eye to see you so intoxicated.”  
Laura exhaled a juddering breath, feeling her heart beat like a drum out of every pulse point.  
“But if you want… I can stop,” he made to pull his fingers away; Laura clutched at his hand.  
“No,” she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut in a torment of pleasure and shame that titillated her senses far more than she thought possible. “Please.”  
“Please what?”  
“Please… don’t stop,” she managed; he smirked.  
“Open your eyes and beg me to continue,” he said in a low voice, “or I stop right now.”  
Eyelashes fluttering, she dragged her eyes back open and met his gaze; he raised his eyebrows as a prompt. Laura held the look, paralysed with nerves.  
“Laura! The hell are you doin’?”  
“He’s getting impatient,” Edward crooned. “And so am I.”  
“Hey sweetheart! Move that sweet ass!”  
“For the love of God…” Laura said as she closed her eyes, lip curling with disgust. “That… man.” Then, she raised her eyes into a glare and let anger fuel a new flame of courage. “Please,” she rasped. “Edward. I’m begging you… don’t stop.”  
“Good girl,” he breathed, rewarding her with a kiss; he gave speed to the rhythm of his fingers, making her gasp.  
“Oh God, I’m not sure I can,” she said, her anger dissipating under such pressure; Edward looked down at her, amused.  
“I can feel how close you are,” he said. “You’re holding back. Are you afraid?”  
“Yes,” she ground out, grappling with her focus. “I’m - scared - to be heard.”  
“Be brave,” he said, running his teeth up her neck. “You should be proud.” Laura whimpered, rapidly losing her grip; when he reached her ear, he dropped his voice. “Are you not proud that I’m here - right now - doing this just for you?”  
“Yes,” she whined.  
“Then do it for me.”  
“For you…” she breathed.  
“Let go,” his voice dripped sadistic down her spine. “I want to see you come.”  
Arousal flooded Laura’s body and tipped her over the edge, her eyes rolling back; she convulsed and hit her head on the wall, harsh gasps and soft moans spilling from her lips. As her climax ebbed away, Edward extricated both hands and laid them to rest on her hips.

“Quite fetching, but you still held back,” he chided, watching her compose herself. Laura let her head rest against the wall, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes.  
“I didn’t,” she protested; Edward tilted his head and raised one eyebrow. “I swear.”  
“Oh, you can do better than that,” he taunted, tangling his fingers in her hair. Laura pursed her lips, breathing through her nose.  
“Guess you’re just gonna have to make me come again, huh?”  
“Say when,” Edward hissed, dragging her forward to kiss her. The call buzzer went off, drawn out and irritated; she groaned. “Oh for God’s sake,” she murmured, closing her eyes. “He’s got to know, by now.”  
“I doubt it,” Edward said, “in that case, he’d be falling out of bed to strangle me with his drip in some absurd display of alpha masculinity.”  
“But he was already such a creep,” she shuddered. “How can I face him now?”  
“It’s not like he saw you,” he said.  
“Wait.” Laura snapped her eyes open. “The door. I didn’t close the door.”  
Edward shook his head.  
“And you didn’t think to mention it until now?” She demanded; he shrugged. Laura bit her lip and looked away; Edward smirked and guided her chin back with one finger.  
“Like a shivering little kitten,” he chuckled. “Don’t tell me you regret that.”  
“Never,” she whispered, smiling. “Never. Just a little embarrassed.”  
“Banish that nonsense,” he said, lifting her hand to kiss it. “It’s not a needful thing.”  
“Easy for you to say.”  
“How so?”  
“You never have to go back in there.”  
“That’s true. But given the chance, you know what I would do?” Edward said, pressing her against the wall and bracketing her with his hands.  
“What would you do?” She smiled, tilting her head up in the hopes of another kiss.  
“I’d make you come again, within earshot of the old man - to truly hammer home that you will always be beyond his reach,” he said, observing her reaction before choosing his next step. Laura’s eyes widened and her body curved up toward him as he was speaking; purring with satisfaction, he enunciated his next words with care. ”If I had my way, I would have you scream.”  
Edward pushed an errant strand of hair off her face, refusing to let her hide within another kiss; Laura sucked in a pocket of air, realising that she had stopped breathing.  
“Tell me,” Edward asked, already knowing the answer, “does that blow your skirt up at all?”  
“Yeah it does,” Laura breathed in disbelief, pulse pounding insistently between her legs. “Goddamn…that would be worth the risk.”  
“I knew you were a woman of impeccable taste,” Edward murmured, taking her into his arms to kiss her; she melted against him with a moan. Jack’s call buzzer went off again, again, and again; feeling her stiffen, Edward hissed and let her go.  
“At this rate I’d rather he just died out of spite.”  
“Do you think he’ll know?”  
“I doubt he’d recognise the aftermath,” Edward snorted. “My father wouldn’t know a sated woman if she came on his face.”

There was a pause.  
“Well…” Laura took a deep breath, “... almost sated.”  
“Almost?” Edward stopped still and narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s a lie.” Laura adored how the flare of anger lit up his eyes and animated his features; she slipped one thumb into her mouth and bit down hard. “What are you saying to me, kitten?”  
“Maybe…” the casually tossed endearment emboldened her further. “There could be one way for me to be truly sated,” she ventured, hoping she sounded braver than she felt, “if I make it back in a minute, then we could… ?”  
Edward gave her an innocent look. “Could…” he repeated; Laura huffed out a nervous exhale, dragging her hair into one coil. “Have you learned nothing? Be. Precise,” he drew out, relishing his petty vengeance; he took further advantage of the situation by stepping in close.  
“Do you recall when I told you to let go?”  
“Yes.” Laura blinked several times, remembering that as the brutal shove that sent her careening over the edge; the mention of it sent ripples across her skin. “Yes, of course.”  
“By the same token, if there’s something you want from me,” he murmured, ruffling her dark curls loose again, “since I’m not known as a mind reader, you’ll have to tell me what it is.”  
“But you make me so nervous,” Laura said; Edward gave her a cruel smile.  
“How about I give you an easy way out,” he said, placing one hand over her eyes; she started. “If you can’t see me,” he chuckled, “then there’s no problem.”  
Laura closed her eyes behind his hand and took a deep, stabilising breath.  
“Now,” he whispered directly into her ear, “tell me what you want.”  
“I want you to…” Laura cut herself off; her skin was burning as she giggled with nerves. “God, I can’t.”  
“Just pretend I’m not here.”  
“Maybe I could… imagine you’re in the next room,” she whispered. “Like before.”  
“You were thinking of me when I was in Jackie’s room?”  
“Yes,” she whispered. “Soon as I saw you, I couldn’t stop.”  
“Good start,” Edward agreed, grinning. “Go with that.”  
“Okay,” Laura started out hesitant, but her voice thickened as she spoke. “I want you to -” she stopped herself and thought. “From the moment you looked at me… so wicked… I’ve thought of nothing else but…” she took one final deep breath, her voice coming out ragged. “I want you. I want you to f-” she gulped.  
“Say the words,” Edward snapped, moving one hand to grip her hair.  
“I want you to -” her voice was raw. “I want you to fuck me.”  
Edward dragged her head back by the hair and planted a succession of kisses from her neck up to her ear. “That’s my good girl,” he hissed, taking a deep inhale of the scent from her hair. “Doesn’t it feel amazing to tell me that?”  
“Yes,” she breathed, the determiner ‘my’ bouncing off every wall in her head. When she finally opened her eyes, they were brimming with uncertainty and fear.  
“Fret not,” he said, tickled. “You’ve earned your minute. But you’d better bring back something for me to wear.”  
“Okay,” Laura giggled with relief. “Something tight?”  
“You tell me,” Edward gestured at himself. “Does it look like I do things any other way?”  
“It looks…” Laura looked down, taking in the hard line distorting the fit of his tailored slacks; her eyes and mouth widened as she gasped, “… oh God, wonderful.”  
“One thing however,” he warned, raising a finger, “bring me no green. My aesthetic does occasionally follow logical sense.”  
“I got this,” Laura said, trembling with excitement. After she left, Edward leaned against a wall and flipped open the button on his pants.  
“Innocence, once lost, can never be regained…” he grunted as he shifted the erection that Laura so coveted into a more comfortable position, “darkness, once gazed upon, can never be lost.” Edward chuckled to himself. “Laura… so sure that your decisions are your own.”

Edward turned his wrist to time Laura’s absence; at fifty-five seconds, he clucked his tongue and twisted his body toward the door.  
“Shame,” he began to say; that was when Laura appeared, out of breath. As she recovered, she put her arms up on either side of the doorway to bar his exit.  
“No. Shame,” she managed to say.  
“Indeed,” he said, smiling. ”Would you like the door shut, this time?”  
“Yes, please,” Laura admitted. “Sorry.”  
“Baby steps,” Edward said, giving her an indulgent smile. “And the old man?”  
“Angry. He said he heard something, and wanted to know what it was.”  
“Did he know it was you?” Edward grinned.  
“No,” Laura said, smiling, “I played dumb.”  
“He’d recognise dumb well enough,” he said. “Did he happen to see the question mark on your stomach?”  
Laura giggled. “No, I kept it hidden. That’s just for me.”  
“Capital,” he smirked. “Did you bring me what I asked for?”  
“It’s what kept me,” she said, holding the condom up between two fingers; he plucked it from her grasp.  
“Perfect,” he said, dragging her in and closing the door; he pressed her up against it and toyed with her waistband.  
“You’re going to have to lose these,” he said.  
“Oh,” Laura pouted. “You can’t defy physics?”  
“I could tear them off you,” he murmured, “or slice them open at the groin. Ladies’ choice.”  
“As much as I love hearing you say that,” she said, “I’ll still need them. After.”  
“How boring,” he kissed her neck. “Then you can keep your panties on for modesty, if you like - I can move around them.”  
“This’ll be the one time I wish I wore a skirt as my uniform,” she giggled. As he watched, Laura reached down and took off her pants, tossing them aside and leaving her panties, as suggested. Edward reached down and ran his fingernails up her thighs, leaving goosebumps in his wake.  
“You have to suffer some indignity, to get what you want.”  
“A little indignity can be a good thing,” Laura said, trying for bravery again.  
“Then I’ll see you well degraded,” Edward returned, no jest in his tone; Laura felt her innards flutter.  
“I should see if you’re ready for me, first.” Edward touched his fingers to the crotch of her panties; finding them soaked through, he formed his mouth into the perfect O to say, “oh. I see.”  
“Yeah,” Laura said. “You’re hot stuff.”  
“You bet I am,” Edward said, laying a kiss on her lips; he placed the condom between his teeth and he took hold of her with sure hands, one moving under her knee to lift a leg as the other shifted her panties aside.  
“When you actually spoke to me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.”  
“How could I resist?” Edward gritted out, then tore open the condom and unzipped his trousers to sheath himself.  
“But you didn’t have to… you know…”  
Edward raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “What?”  
“Try.” Edward blinked at her; she went on. “I would’ve taken… anything.”  
“That’s neither a good impression to leave,” he said, “nor one you should expect. How disappointing.”  
“Well, if there’s one thing you’re definitely not,” she breathed, “it’s disappointing.”  
“That’s two, naughty girl - you’re trying to flatter me. Seduce me, perhaps?”  
Laura grinned and bit her bottom lip. “Maybe.”  
“At this stage of the game -” she shivered as he moved to position himself at her entrance, “do you think I need to be seduced?”  
“No,” she managed. “But I never expected that you’d be even more wicked than you looked.”  
“You like that word, don’t you?” he asked, eyes twinkling.  
“It suits you,” she smiled.  
“Will you tell my father how wicked I am?”  
“That’s… cruel and unusual,” she gasped, scandalised.  
“Does that make you a hard maybe,” he murmured, tracing his tongue up her throat to her ear, “or a soft yes?”  
“Ohh God, how are you so, so… ” Laura whispered, eyes glazed.  
“Wicked?”  
“Yes,” she demanded; he laughed.  
“So,” Edward said. “How brave are you feeling, little kitten?”  
Laura met the evil look in his eye and tried to match it. “That depends.”  
With one movement, he pulled a green silk handkerchief from his pocket and flicked it loose with a flourish. Laura looked down at the handkerchief, then back up again, intrigued.  
“I have this,” he murmured, “if you’re not feeling in good voice.”  
“I think…” Laura pondered. “I’d like that.”  
“As you wish. Open your mouth.”  
Laura shivered and complied; Edward twisted the handkerchief around and gagged her with it; as he jerked the knot closed at the back of her head, he hissed through a grin and kissed her mouth.  
“That is a pretty sight,” he said. “Now, you remember how I told you to focus on breathing?”  
Laura nodded, twitching with helpless excitement.  
“It’s definitely the time for that,” Edward said with a laugh. Before she could reply, he shoved inside her with one motion and made no effort to temper his own groan upon entry; Laura reeled at his lack of modesty as his hips thrust to the beat of a metronome with the patience of one prepared to do so all day. 

You’re not human, Laura thought desperately, her heart fluttering fit to break from her heaving breast as she watched his focused expression: no man could be this sure of himself. Vainly she longed for confidence of her own to make him weak as he did so easily with her; the thought of seeing him lose control excited her immensely. However, he seemed more than adept at handling matters himself and besides, who was she to argue - he kept finding and ripping apart what she thought she knew about herself while she could only cling on for the ride. Though she could not begin to deny it: she loved how he was dismantling her; the only desire left in her mind was for proceedings to go on as long as possible. Blinking back into reality, she saw that Edward was staring at her, eyebrows furrowed as he seemed to read her thoughts.  
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he murmured; before she could react, he took hold of the gag knot and drew back her head, resting his lips against her earlobe.  
“You said I could hurt you.” Laura’s eyes widened. “But I don’t even need to touch you, to torture you. Do I?” The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. “All I’ve had to do is talk,” he lingered over his words, “and on cue, you fall apart.” Laura whimpered; he had dragged her back to remind her who she was with - and how dare she misplace that knowledge for one moment. Lost in his voice, her hips began to shamelessly buck of their own volition. “How about I call attention to us, hmm? I’m not the one with something to lose.” The rhythm of Edward’s own thrusts never faltered; Laura’s eyes shuddered shut as she made a muffled, helpless noise.  
“My father could be ringing for you,” he went on, merciless. “Imagine if he could see you? That’d make him realise that you were never his to touch.” Laura squirmed; her blood began to tingle, creeping up from her feet. In a moment of white-hot clarity that blew her eyes open, she realised what she could do to please him. Reaching up, she untied the gag from the back of her head and pulled it away from her face, meeting his gaze dead-on; Edward’s eyes narrowed and his voice dropped to a snarl.  
“Is this you being _wicked_?”  
“Being good... “ she gasped, “for you.”  
“Then show me how good you can be.”  
The sudden realisation that she had made herself defenceless broke down the walls around her fear of being discovered, being seen, being heard; the heady surge of fear ratcheted her arousal higher than she could handle and Laura’s back arched; her head tipped back as she climaxed with a ravishing high note that bled through the confines of the room and made a mellifluous path down the hall.  
“Glorious,” Edward gritted out between his teeth, triumph blazing across his face. Burying his face in her neck and planting kisses there, he allowed himself to come after her. Laura’s leg sank to the floor, his freed hand striking the wall in polyphony with the staccato beat of his hips; as he released a pained moan, he dropped his chin to his chest.

Adrift in a ringing silence, Laura gradually returned to her body and her senses. Without her notice, Edward had withdrawn from her; he slipped the spent condom in one pocket, adjusted himself, then zipped back up. Laura put her pants back on with as much dignity as she could muster, and made an attempt to straighten herself up. Edward took the handkerchief back and regarded her as he smoothed out its creases.  
“Would you like to keep this?”  
“Yes,” she said. “I’d love to.”  
“Then I’d like the use of your wrist, if you please.”  
Laura proffered her wrist, and Edward made a cuff around it. As he tightened the knot, he pulled her close to kiss her again. Laura clung to his arms, desperate to hold onto him as long as she could. Pulling away, Edward frowned and touched his thumb to her chin.  
“You feel so skittish,” he said. “Whatever could be wrong?”  
“When I leave again - you won’t be here once I get back,” she whispered. “Will you?”  
“No,” he admitted. “I have to go.”  
“That’s a shame,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone light.  
“It’s a pity that you’re the one who has to deal with my father,” Edward said. “He’s a waste of biological matter, and you don’t deserve that.”  
“I know,” she smiled. “But it’s my job, and besides: he did make you.”  
“Careful,” Edward grinned. “Don’t go spreading that around.”  
Through the door, the call buzzer was going off in steady bursts. Edward raised his eyes to the ceiling and concentrated: he could hear his father raging. Good.  
“My apologies for having to deal with the fallout of this,” Edward laughed.  
“But what a blast it was,” she giggled.  
“Sweet little thing,” he murmured, lingering as he kissed her cheek; Laura sighed.  
“I have to go,” she said. “Maybe… another time?”  
“Maybe,” he agreed; after all, it wasn’t strictly a lie. Laura took one last, long look before she left - there was a new confidence in her face that had previously been absent and it gave Edward immense satisfaction to see her so transformed.

Once she was gone, Edward pulled his gloves back on and hypothesised how much Jackie had overheard. Since the old man’s hearing was still decent, he’d have heard something that could not be denied. He’d better have, Edward smirked; after all, that stellar performance was constructed specifically for him to overhear. The only variable was how badly the old man wanted to fool himself into thinking what he heard was not what he heard. What a divine creature Laura had been - so malleable, so eager to please… so happily led into tactical debauchery.  
“A most suitable dance partner,” Edward mused, straightening the cuffs of his gloves. “Almost a shame that I have to leave - I’d have her doing it backwards in heels in no time.” Then he stretched, limbs feeling gloriously loose; he stepped outside the door and turned his head towards his father’s room, and listened.  
“I swear I heard somethin’,” Jackie whined; he sounded weaker than before. How sublime if this, of all things, were the catalyst to finish the old man off, Edward thought rapturously; he could hear Laura doing her best to soothe the beast.  
“Please relax, Mr. Nashton. You’re stressing yourself out far too much.”  
“I can’t imagine what’s got him so stressed,” Edward murmured to himself, turning his head to languorously stroke his jaw. “Almost seems… wounded about something.”  
“What were yeh doin’, while yeh were gone?” Jackie was out of breath, pleading with her to say something placatory, to lie to him. “Where’d you get that green thing ‘round your wrist?”  
Laura said nothing; Edward closed his eyes and revelled in the volumes of her silence.  
“Right.” Laura said at last, her tone brooking no arguments. “Lie back, now - you need to rest.”  
On tiptoe, Edward crept to the edge of the doorway and pressed his body against the wall; when he saw Laura back up to the door, he grabbed her hand. Startled, she turned her head in his direction, then smiled.  
“Do let me know when he finally kicks off, won’t you, kitten?” Edward whispered, grinning at her. Laura nodded and mouthed the words, “anything for you”.  
“There’s my good girl,” he hissed, lifting her hand to kiss it once more. “Au revoir, ma dulcinée.”  
Edward turned and took off down the hall with a series of spins and slides, apparently seized by the spirit of his adored Fred Astaire; Laura covered to her mouth to stifle a giggle. As he reached the end of the hall, he turned, bowed, and disappeared. Laura leaned against the wall he had stood at previously, hugging herself; a moment later, she blinked and pinched her arm hard enough to wince. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop, she looked around; then she lifted her shirt. Seeing the green question mark there, announcing itself like a brand, made her giggle.  
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed, shaking her head. “But also… goddamn.”  
Remembering herself, she wandered back to her station and back to reality. Laura sighed - but her smile remained. “Glorious,” she said, a mischievous twinkle lighting up her face as she toyed with her new green cuff. “Glorious.”


End file.
